Small Grant Program Recipients 2001-2002

This study will examine the efficacy of using Mallard web-based quizzes for promoting social work students’ comprehension of text content for SWK 223. A comparison of two sections of SWK 223 will be conducted. Both classes will be structured the same, except the experimental group will be required to take online Mallard quizzes outside of class and the control group will not have access to the Mallard quizzes. Pre- (early in the semester) and post-tests (questions from pre-test will be buried in class tests) will be administered to both sections. Final course grades and instructor evaluations will also be used for triangulation purposes.

This project will design and implement an intervention targeted to demonstrate increased evidence of special education teacher candidates’ reflection on instructional variables that are positively or negatively impacting on the effectiveness of instructional interactions between teachers and learners with disabilities. The primary measure of student outcomes will be conducted by evaluating weekly journal entries while the students are participating in a practicum experience. Participants will be 4-6 teacher candidates enrolled in each section of SED 245.01, SED 245.02, and SED 245.03. A multiple probe research design will be used in this investigation. The primary interventions will include the use of a template that guides candidates through a 4-step reflective process and specific instructive feedback to reinforce and shape the reflective process.

Under Construction: Using Metaphors To Foster Teacher Development, Expertise And ReflectiveTheresa Steger, Curriculum and Instruction

This project will explore the use of metaphors as a teaching tool in pre-service teacher education. It is a preliminary study examining patterns of teacher candidate response to a metaphor used in their own education classes. It will investigate affect and content and depth and breadth of reflection, and consider ways the metaphor learning experience may impact teacher candidates’ work in other course assignments.

MAT 130, Dimensions of Mathematical Problem Solving, is an Inner Core course in the General Education Program. The pedagogy of the course emphasizes that the students take the responsibility for their own learning under the guidance of the instructor. Consequently, there is little "telling" by the instructor. The students are to present their own solutions to the problems with locus of authority for the correctness of the solution being that of the class. The basis for the determination of correctness is found in the reasoning and sense making of the class. Historically, students have resisted learning mathematics in this manner because it is not the way they have been taught in the past. Unfortunately, the way they have been taught has not resulted in understanding and sense making of the mathematics. They have use memorization as their learning strategy and meaningless manipulation of symbols, both arithmetic and algebraic, as their way of "doing mathematics". Their belief system about mathematics is that mathematics is a set of rules to be memorized and then applied in some way. Problem solving and communicating their reasoning has not been part of their mathematical experiences. MAT 130 is designed to bring about a change in all of this. Thus we are looking at both the affective and cognitive aspects of the class with respect to the learning of the students.

Data collected in this class include:

surveys done at the beginning and end of the semester

all graded work done by the students

work done by the students on the problems presented in class

video tapes of each class

field notes of the class by one of the investigators

interviews of several students by the same investigator

There are several methodologies available to study the vast amount of qualitative data that we have. Our goal is to view what has happened from different viewpoints, gaining a coherent and informative picture of what is happening with respect to both the affective and cognitive.

This project involves assessing the use and usefulness for teachers and students of an elaborate web site. The methodology will be an online questionnaire using both closed- and open-ended items. Respondents will be asked how and why they use the site, what is most useful, and how it can be improved.